When you  make the move to junior high and high school, everyone seems to think that there is no way to balance both having a social life and excelling in you academics. However, there is always a way – as long as there is a will!

The way I see it, you need to earn your breaks, vacations and time off; That is what used to drive me to finish up my last essays and my final projects. I would look at the calendar and mutter to myself, “It’s almost March Break – I got to work hard now so that I can fully enjoy my time off school”. Then I would put all of my effort into my work until the very last class and forget about (almost) everything! Essentially, you want to be able to relax during your breaks and long weekends, so you just have to think of this as a “crunch time”.  Even now, in university, I do this to myself – I work and study hard and once I finish the exam, I shop! Sounds odd to some people, but I call it a “Celebratory Spree Day”, the day when I get to relax after pushing myself to study so hard for my exam period.

One can also practice time management by planning when you will study and setting aside a few hours for fun with friends, too. For example, give yourself some hours to hang out with your friends before heading home to finish assignments and study.  It’s possible to have great academic standing and a social life, you just need to have the determination and the planning.

Always remember to enjoy life!